A Doberman puppy with Kids?

[WouldWoodchuckChuck]

DH has had a Rottweiler and a Doberman among others and I have grown up around large dogs in the the family, including bull mastiffs.

Pros: We have a large garden close to large green spaces. Quiet places for the rest away from family. We're committed to a lot of training and socialisation.

Cons: A cat (but one that mostly stays out of the way until the kids are in bed because he likes to lounge in warm places in peace and be fussed by us as he's had since a kitten), children's ages - 18m and 7y.

Part of me does think it best to wait a couple of years until the youngest is 4/5 and the other thinks a puppy would grow with the kids and be fine.

Has anyone had a puppy Doberman with young kids?

No way on earth.
These are not suitable dogs to be around children so young. Way too high risk.
Plus the UK is now in a state of alert over big dogs in general, people are very fearful, it would be a nightmare trying to walk a dog of this size in local parks, you will get a lot of abuse.

I'd suggest waiting til youngest is a bit older.
All puppies are bitey terrors & then they turn into bouncy overgrown pups who don't know their own strength.

We have an adult cocker spaniel & a 20 month - AwkwardPup is very good but he's accidentally knocked DS over a few times with overexcitement or a waggy tail. DS wants to be involved with the dog, but that requires constant very close supervision - it was more manageable a month or so ago but DS has learnt to open the babygates now!

I'm definitely finding walking more of a challenge now too - DS wants to walk too but supervising him while also being on hand to pick up poo is a juggle, not being able to go in the play equipment area with dog has caused a couple of tantrums, & AwkwardPup likes to play with other dogs so that's another thing to risk-manage (I.e. a tantrum while I pop DS in the pushchair so he doesn't get knocked over!).

We deliberately chose a small breed with our children when they were young. We have a large breed now they're teenagers. I'm also a little distrustful of Dobermans. My aunt had one and it was beautifully trained but when I dogsat him overnight once he suddenly started growling at me when I was sitting down and by the time I calmly walked upstairs and shut myself in the bedroom he was snarling outside the door. I had to call her to come home and take him home. I still have no idea what happened. I'd given him a nice long walk, he'd had his supper and been out in the garden and I had just sat down to watch TV.

Yes my son was 9 and my daughter was 4. Don't do it unless you have lots of time and energy. My male doberman saw my son as his litter mate and constantly mouthed him he did grow out of it but it wasnt a nice experience he underwent severe training. Totally different to our first dobi so I think it depends on the dog too. I would definitely wait till your youngest is at least 5-6. They are strong and can easily knock the little one over in excitement not through viciousness and although very trustworthy they are very much a velcro dog, you can't pee without them wanting to come too like a 3rd child but messier. Don't forget pups don't wear nappies 😄

And that is why I say yes to catsitting and no to dogsitting :-) ... I have visions of that kind of thing happening and me then having to live in the garden and poke food through the letterbox for two weeks because suddenly they've sussed I don't live there but I still have to look after them ...

I think having read comments, we'll wait until the youngest is at least 8. You're right, I think we might be looking at this with rose tinted glasses as it'll be another 18 months to 2 years of my youngest toddling slowly anyway. On reflection, I did find it a lot with the cat as a kitten, when my youngest was a toddler!

Dobermans that are well bread are great family dogs. They're very loving dogs that get a bad rep for being working dogs. We're not keen on small dogs, they all seem to yap a lot more than bigger dogs.

Where I live lots of people have big dogs (not the dangerous kind) and they haven't really had a bad reception from what I can see.

I'm home all day as I work remotely. If I do need to be out, DH can pop home in his lunch break for a walk or we do know a fantastic doggy daycare that's been great to socialise a friend's dog we'll see where we're at in years to come as things change.

@DiscoBeat Was the dog fine when the aunt was back?

Dobes are known for letting strangers in….. but not out….( not attacking, just guarding) @DiscoBeat reminded me of those traits

Dobermans that are well bread are great family dogs.

They can be great family dogs but it's not just about their breeding - Dobermans are really intelligent and bred to guard. If you don't train them properly and don't (or can't) give them what they need they can become aggressive and difficult to manage.

Personally they're not a breed I would have around children of any age, just because the potential for it to go wrong is much greater than with other breeds.

No thanks. My brother was attacked by one and a friend seriously disfigured when the pet doberman decided to attack her and go for her neck and face.

Both unprovoked, serious attacks on children in the home.

We currently have a puppy. A well known child friendly breed. Very patient and good with children (and we’ve had them before).

Oh my goodness she is hard work and not a chance I’d have her around very little kids at the moment. She’s a baby and needs masses of attention which I simply couldn’t give her if I had small children and she’s a bitey, tuggy land shark with teeth like needles. My jeans are all dead through her jumping up, sinking her teeth into my leg and holding on for dear life and I’ve also lost two coats and two pairs of shoes) One cat tolerates her, the other stays well out of the way and hisses when she comes close.

This is a medium sized family friendly breed. Whatever you do don’t be tempted to do it with a large potentially lethal breed who is literally genetically bred to guard its stuff (toddlers do not understand possession boundaries).

Little kids and dogs don’t mix well outside of sentimental movies and stupid staged TikTok clips.

Heya I love a dobie but I'd say no in this situation

They are notoriously slow to mature and stay mouthy lanky crazy puppies for a while. I'd expect at least 2 years of bouncyness before settling. Ime they go through long periods of teenage hype

Unfortunately that's a long time of hyperness for kids to contend with. They are lovely but do go through long periods of puppy raptor biting and destruction.

Unfortunately because of their big size things like jumping up etc, pawing for attention, pushing people over cause more problems than then same puppy behaviour in a smaller dog.

Some kids are forgiving of being barged over, toys being nibbled and puppy biting but most are not and don't like the dog being around or get understandably scared

You youngest is just the right age to get really upset by normal puppyness including the teething mouthing stage from any dog but I'd be cautious of any big breed where its so much easier for them to accidentally scratch etc, push etc but also typically slower to mature and especially ones known for their energy.

Oh, not this again. Seriously, what have some people got against dogs that aren't capable of ripping a child apart?

Obviously not

@Datafan55 he was, yes. But I never trusted him after that!

I wouldn’t have any puppy with the age of your youngest, I’d wait till at least school age.

Ive never met a well bred Doberman, every one I’ve known has been a neurotic nervy mess... which makes me assume finding a well bred one might be hard.

Rottweilers, I love, I’ve owned one and fostered one and I’d have another no problem... but they’re not recommended round young children, mostly because they’re large strong dogs who don’t seem to realise they are. Mine broke my DP’s front tooth, just playing, he looked up at the same time as my DP bent down towards him, hit his head off his face, he’d also run into you by accident often and try to sit on your knee.

I agree why don't people want friendly dogs and instead choose one that is known to be more vicious?

This line is lazy and boring, we know better than this. If you know anything about dogs at all, you will know that certain breeds have been bred specifically for certain things. Humans have manipulated dogs through breeding for work, or for companionship etc. It takes two minutes to research a dog breed and use your brain to work out what tendencies and behaviours that breed may have that will or won't suit your set up and capabilities.

Dogs aren't inherently vicious, or friendly. You can get a "vicious" anything if it hasn't been bred, socialised and trained well. There aren't vicious breeds and non vicious breeds. If you think about it, it makes no sense.

All breeds have a whole range of characteristics, some have higher drives in certain areas, and if those aren't met with the right level of training, then there will be a need which leaves a gap for unwanted behaviours.

I would say that with two small children unless you are The Incredibles, or a dog trainer for livings you won't have the resource needed to give any puppy the time and energy input it needs, nor a calm and peaceful set up in order to go on to be a well balanced dog. Don't do it. Wait, then wait some more, research, don't make the decision on the basis of your DPs fond childhood memories, there was probably an adult working their arse off and at times pulling their hair out at the other end of that dog that your DP wasn't aware of.

With kids those ages I wouldn't get a dog that is known to be a guard dog and dominant by nature.

I would get a labrador / poodle / something that has a better reputation as a family dog.

There are plenty of 'large' dogs that are generally considered better pets for children than dobermans. It's not a banned breed but it would be toward the bottom of my list for a family pet with young kids.

There aren't vicious breeds and non vicious breeds.

The statistics would disagree with you there. It's always the same breeds that crop up over (and over) again.

XL Bulllies, Pitbulls, Rottweilers, German Sheperds, Dobermans, Huskies and Jack Russell's are the breeds that consistently feature in articles about fatal dog attacks.

It's never a beagle, or a golden retriever, or a border collie. That's not luck - it's genetics.

Of course, that doesn't mean every single one of those breeds is going to turn around and kill a baby, but it does mean you're going to be battling against genetics in a greater way than if you had a Labrador.

And staffs. There’s a MNer who’s a local journalist who covers the courts in her area and said that destruction orders that come before the magistrates are nearly always for out of control staffs.

Its luck, and genetics, socioeconomics, the list goes on and it's absolutely not as simple as a list of vicious dogs over here, and a list of friendly ones there.

Its luck, and genetics, socioeconomics, the list goes on and it's absolutely not as simple as a list of vicious dogs over here, and a list of friendly ones there.

I know - that kind of what I said

But that doesn't change the fact that it's never ever a golden retriever, or a Labrador, or a basset hound that's responsible for a fatal attack on a human.

There's a reason these breeds come up again and again, sadly.

I'd probably hold off getting a large energetic breed until the children are older.

My children are 9 and 6, and I have absolute hell on some days when I need to get our dog out for a decent walk when they are with me. Then, once out and about it'll go either one of two ways - a lovely, chatty stroll with my babies, or a horrible experience which reminds me why I prefer it when it's just me and him!

I don't have any experience with Doberman, and used to be petrified of them as whenever I pictured one it would be the 80's film stereotype - chain collar, cropped ears and tails. Once I actually met a stunning, uncropped family pet I realised how beautiful they are.

I'm sure once the time comes you'll have a lovely family pet.